In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Great Grey Owl in 7 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.
The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.
Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.
At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Great Grey Owl.
Make sure you also check out any of the hundreds of drawing tutorials grouped by category.
How to Draw a Great Grey Owl - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: First, draw a circle for the head of the Great Grey Owl.
Step 2: Draw two tiny circles for the eyes and fill them in. Draw a small curved X shape or bowtie shape for the face of the owl and draw a slanting line above it to show the face details. Draw a small triangle for the beak.
Step 3: Then, draw a slightly bigger circle around the head for the body of the Great Grey Owl.
Step 4: Draw the small fan-shaped tail using slanting lines. Use wavy lines to show the outlines of the tail feathers.
Step 5: Draw the outline of the outstretched left wing of the owl as shown in the image. Use wavy lines to outline the fluffy feathers on the wing. Make the outer side of the wing look wider than the side near the owl’s body.
Step 6: Draw the right wing just like the previous one. Make sure that it is the same size and shape as the left wing.
Step 7: Draw the spots on the Great Grey Owl’s face, body and neck. Use short dashes to show the pattern on the wings. Draw the outline of the feathers on the wings and tail so that you can see each feather clearly. Draw lines across the wings to complete the drawing as shown in the image. Once your drawing is finished, you can color it.
Interesting Facts about the Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa):
The great grey owl is the tallest owl in North America. The great grey owl’s wingspan can be up to six feet in wide. This means that from wingtip to wingtip, the great grey owl is as long as a grown man is tall! It is the largest wingspan of any owl in America.
Did you know?
- Even though the great grey owl is a huge bird, it only likes to eat very small prey, usually mammals such as mice.
- This owl often chooses dead, broken-topped trees for the perfect home.
- Sometimes, the great grey owl will even claim another bird’s nest as her own.
- The great grey owl has a funny marking that some people say looks like a black and white “bowtie” right below its face.
- This owl’s head is very round and does not have the ear tufts many other owl species have.
The great grey owl is a large and astonishing bird. Owls of this species need large, cold mountain forests to call home. They only live in North America. Logging of these forests is reducing the areas great grey owls can call home.
How to Draw a Great Grey Owl – Step-by-Step Tutorial